10.9 Nativists Opposing New Immigration

From the 1600s to mid-1800s, immigration to America was relatively steady.
The Civil War caused a temporary slowdown, but immigration picked up again afterward.
In the late 1800s, the nature of immigration changed, with new immigrants differing from previous ones.

Came mostly from Northern Europe.
Included:
- English: Arrived from the early 1600s.
- Germans: Settled on the frontier and later in the Midwest.
- Scandinavians: Migrated to the Midwest and Great Plains.
- Irish: Came due to the potato famine, settling in eastern cities or moving west to work on the Transcontinental Railroad.
- Chinese: Arrived during the California Gold Rush and worked on the western end of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Cultural Contributions: These immigrants contributed to American culture, and were generally welcomed.
Common Traits:
- Generally Protestant Christians (with exceptions like Catholics from Southern Germany and Ireland).
- Often had some financial security through land ownership, business ventures, or education.
- Most spoke English or tried to learn it, aiding societal integration.

Came from Southern and Eastern Europe.
Included Italians, Poles, Russians, Czechs, Hungarians, Greeks, and others.
Characteristics:
- Spoke various and unfamiliar languages.
- Often lacked money and skills.
- Were not typically Protestant; many were Catholic, Jewish, or Orthodox.
Settled in ethnic neighborhoods, which led to a perception of being standoffish and unwilling to assimilate.

Nativist Movement: Opposed immigration since the 1830s.
Discriminatory actions:
- Cities passing laws restricting jobs and rights for immigrants.
- Jewish immigrants facing exclusion from universities.
- Targeting of specific groups: Jews and Italians in the Northeast, Mexicans in the Southwest, and Chinese on the West Coast.
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): Severely limited Chinese immigration.
American Protective Association (1887): An anti-Catholic organization that campaigned for immigration restrictions and grew to over a million members.
Literacy Test: Congress tried multiple times to pass a bill requiring a literacy test for immigrants.
- President Grover Cleveland vetoed such a bill, believing in America's openness to those without educational opportunities.
- The bill was eventually passed in 1917 after Congress overrode President Woodrow Wilson's veto.
Racial Prejudice: Nativism was rooted in racial prejudice, particularly the belief in Anglo-Saxon superiority.
Immigration Restriction League: Worked to limit immigration of "undesirable" groups.

Japanese Immigration: Increased immigration from Japan, especially to California.
- California farmers worried about competition from hardworking Japanese immigrants.
San Francisco Segregation: In 1906, the San Francisco school board segregated Chinese, Korean, and Japanese students.
- Caused anti-American riots.
Gentleman's Agreement (1907-1908): An informal agreement between the U.S. and Japan.
- Japan agreed to limit immigration to America.
- The U.S. promised to improve the treatment of Japanese immigrants already in the country.
By this time, the West Coast was mostly closed to Asian immigrants, while the East Coast remained open to European immigrants.

Nativists wanted America to be exclusively for Americans and opposed the influx of new immigrants.
Nativist Concerns: Included fears that immigrants would work for lower wages, thus depressing the overall labor market.
Melting Pot Ideal: Hopes that immigrants would assimilate into American culture.
Ethnic Neighborhoods: Immigrants often formed ethnic neighborhoods to maintain their culture, language, and customs, leading to negative reactions from nativists.